Our Team
Staff
Brad Blackburn III
Manager of Development & Communications
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In the course of my professional trajectory, I have committed myself to public service. By harnessing the power of collective action, demonstrating compassion, and upholding the highest levels of integrity, I continuously seek to incite change and revamp environments to better cater to the needs of those who have historically been overlooked. Driven by the desire to change systems to uplift societies' most vulnerable populations, I received my bachelor's in political science from the University of Washington in 2021. From there, I went on to obtain my Master of Public Administration at the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance in 2023. I have worked and interned at various nonprofits covering different issue spaces, focusing on justice and equity for marginalized demographics.
In my free time, I like to hike with my close friends when it's sunny or relax by the water. When able, I love to travel outside of Washington and follow the sunshine during the gloomy months! In the rainy season, you will likely find me indoors cozy with my Seal Point Siamese cat, Honey. One thing my friends would tell you about me is that I will never turn down an invitation for lunch or dinner at a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant!
Hailey Conner
Staff Attorney
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According to my 8th grade English teacher, I’ve always planned to be an attorney. At least that’s what my ‘career research paper’ told her. In all actuality, I have no memory whatsoever of wanting to practice law. After having my own negative experience with public school, I opted to graduate early, leaving my small Texas town. I received a degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University. I started my career in social work before I even walked the stage, and I’m eternally grateful for all that the field, and the young people impacted by it, taught me. I saw gross injustice and bias guiding the lives of the young people I worked with to such a negative degree that I sought out more.
I attended Loyola University Chicago as a first-generation law student, obtaining my JD as well as Masters in Social Work. I’ve worked for local nonprofits, federal agencies, child welfare systems, and entirely too many odd part-time jobs along the way. Ultimately, I feel I’ve found my place with TeamChild. In a perfect world, our work wouldn’t be needed. But in our current world, where systemic racism and harm permeates, I am encouraged by the future TeamChild works toward. And, above all, inspired by the fact that I get to work alongside our clients in their work to redefine what justice means today.
Meredith Cambre
Director of Development and Communications
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Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked in various youth-serving non-profit organizations – supporting youth in developing their full potential. But some youths are living farther from opportunity and support than others. Brain science has evolved, and we now know that human brain development continues up to the age of 25. Yet so many young people under 25 are expected to navigate complicated school systems, housing insecurity, healthcare and more with not-yet-fully-formed brains.
I am excited to work with TeamChild to stand beside these youth, help them learn how to advocate for themselves, and support them as they lift their voices as leaders of social change. I’m particularly inspired by the organization’s big, bold goal of eliminating youth incarceration. I am delighted to work with these terrifically smart and talented people to lend my experience, both in work and life, in support of this mission.
More about me – I grew up in south Louisiana and I cherish the food and friendliness that define that region. But after about 17 years living in Seattle, I think I can now call it “home.” If you know of a good crawfish joint in Seattle, I’m all ears! I love painting, reading, anything outdoors, and hanging out with my doggo Edgar. Ask me about him anytime!
Christina Sorenson
Statewide Senior Attorney
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I became a lawyer because of my experiences in foster care. When I was in foster care, it felt like my words only held power when my lawyer said them. I want to go beyond that with my legal representation and advocacy and be part of creating a world that truly values youth and young adult wisdom and experiences.
Starting early in law school, I sought internships and clinical opportunities to help me develop the skills needed to do just that. After law school, I clerked in the Unified Family Court in Delaware for two years. There I had the opportunity to participate in countless proceedings and substantially contribute to written orders pertaining to custody, dependency, and delinquency.
After clerking, I was awarded the Zubrow Fellowship at the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia. During my Zubrow fellowship, I led the update of the Juvenile Law Center’s Know Your Rights guide by Jennifer Pokempner, Esq. Frustrated by the vast difference between the rights on the page and youths’ lived experience, I sought and was awarded a Fellowship from Open Society Foundations to address youths’ need for effective grievance protections. I authored a comprehensive report on youth voice in institutional placements across the country, grounded in both my own personal experiences and a historical analysis. The historical analysis truly helped me begin to understand the roots of racism in our legal structures and systems and helped me grow personally.
After my fellowship, I began representing parents in dependency cases at Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
I am genuinely thrilled to join the incredible community of advocates at TeamChild, offering their skills, talents and expertise to uphold the rights of youth and imagine systems of care that create opportunities for all children to thrive.
Josh Gardner
Case Support and Outreach Specialist
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Serving the community is one of my biggest passions. I grew up in the Pierce and King areas and my life’s story resembles the hardships of the youth Teamchild currently serve every day; however, I was able to overcome the barriers that lay before me and now give back to those in need.
Not only is gaining access to the resources our clients need important to me, but what is equally important is being a living example of what a positive outcome looks like. So many of our youth have never witnessed what a positive outcome looks like, nor have they had models and mentors directly from their own communities.
So therefore, my passion is one full of empathy and mutuality. My work is driven through understanding and patience. I advocate for measurable success through clear objectives, but most importantly… I never forget that I am also a member of the same community as the youth I serve.
It will always take a village….
Chris Elnicki
Statewide Senior Education Attorney
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I grew up in Appalachia and was exposed to a wide range of educational opportunities and resources. Throughout my life, I have been struck by the presence of bullying, harassment, and discrimination present in our country’s education system. As a student I witnessed unfair treatment because of sex, race, and disability, and I did my best to advocate for my peers as a member of student organizations. In law school, I became determined to focus my career on confronting the inequalities that I observed as a student. As an attorney, I have been able to focus my legal career on civil rights and education issues—being fortunate enough to help students in their battle to receive a fair and appropriate education.
Shegaw Maresha
Staff Accountant
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I am originally from Ethiopia. There was a program called Diversity Visa Lottery enacted by Congress during the Bill Clinton Administration to bring 55,000 immigrants from around the world every year. My family and I were fortunate enough to be chosen. After the Diversity Visa Lottery, I came here with my family in 2005. Now I am married and have two smart boys currently in college. When I arrived here in the United States the economy was going through a depression due to the war in Iraq. As a result, it was difficult to find a professional job. I chose to join Highline community college to pursue my accounting degree.
After I completed my AA degree, I transferred to Central Washington University to complete my bachelor’s degree in accounting. On June 13, 2014, I graduated. I joined the non-profit organization Interim Community Development Association as a Staff Accountant. I worked with the organization for 7 years. I also worked for United Way King County and Seattle Housing Authority as a contract employee. I love cooking, traveling, gardening and hanging out with my family and friends, along with our beautiful Husky Shila.
I worked my entire career for non-profit organizations. When working in a non-profit organization like TeamChild, there are incredible people. It offers diversity, along with a powerful mission statement in advancing social justice and equity. I’m very passionate about working for TeamChild since it upholds the rights of youth involvement to achieve a positive outcome in their lives.
Emily Doyle
Grants and Partnerships Manager
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I am thrilled to be joining the Investments and Partnerships team at TeamChild! After graduating from the University of Washington, I had the opportunity to be a part of an organization called Teen Feed that worked to provide young people experiencing homelessness with basic needs and connections to area resources. After years of hearing countless stories from young people, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ+ young people, about the many ways in which they had been failed by systems that were supposed to be supporting and protecting them – I knew I wanted to do work that made an upstream difference.
It brings me joy to connect community members with the important work of supporting children and youth in our communities, and I am enthusiastic about the importance of people with lived experience leading the way in change-making. I greatly look forward to working with the amazing TeamChild staff, youth and young people, and community partners in my role.
Sonia Thomas
Legal Assistant, JR Institutions and Reentry Project
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Growing up as a multiracial young girl and only child here in Yakima, Washington, I struggled like most with trying to figure out my identity and finding out where I fit in, in this society. Among all the other things that I was going through starting at a very young age, I learned to put on that mask called a smile to push my way through life, never being able to find my own voice through so many things such as physical and mental abuse, domestic violence, and homelessness. Most of all, seeing my husband fade away with his own emotional struggles with being an African American man in this system, which sadly contributed to his death.
Now as a single mom of 8, I said to myself enough is enough, I have to find courage and my voice and help those that are like me and my husband and to show my children that they also have a voice and the right to be heard.
When I received a call for the job interview, I needed a job but did not realize that TeamChild would turn out to be the voice that I have always been so desperate to be a part of. I honestly believe that as a “Team” we can truly make a difference and help those who struggle every day, like I have, to find that voice that I never could. That is why I am here.
Lorena Navarro
Legal Assistant
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I was born in California, but Yakima and the lower valley are my home. I’ve built a life here with my husband and my two beautiful daughters. My mother immigrated to the United States at a young age, and I am one of 7 children. I grew up in a very modest home in Wapato, Washington. Growing up in a small, impoverished town, and having gone through my own personal struggles as a young Hispanic girl, I was very aware of my circumstances. Through my own personal story, I gained a passion for equality and justice and a deep sense of understanding and compassion for youth. That drive is what brought me to TeamChild.
I’ve been with TeamChild for 9 years and I have grown in so many ways. TeamChild gave me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many youth. It’s been so rewarding to me to be a part of an agency that is so dedicated to bringing about systemic change to better the lives of young adolescent youth—youth who often feel silenced by their circumstances. These youth are not alone. TeamChild is their voice, and I hope to continue to be a part of this amazing agency for years to come.
Britta Hawkins
Legal Assistant
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I grew up an only child in a small town in North Idaho. Fortunately, my family hosted exchange students from many different countries for years until I graduated. We would attend exchange student retreats where youth from around the world created their own imaginary countries and the focus would wrap up on a profound phrase that has resonated with me ever since: “We are all different, but we are all the same.” That pivotal time in my upbringing has taught me to appreciate and celebrate all cultures and all people.
In 2007 I started working for the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and enjoyed a 12-year career in business operations and hospitality. The combination of working to protect tribal sovereignty while supporting the Spokane schools and surrounding community has led me to where I am today.
Growing up is complicated; probably more so now than it ever has been. I am honored to have joined TeamChild in supporting the youth in our community and undoing institutionalized racism.
Sara Zier
Statewide Director of Legal Services
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Growing up, I was taught that education is everything. My family saw education as a great equalizer and a pathway out of poverty. For them it was. There wasn’t a single moment when I woke to the fact that this wasn’t a reality for everyone. I am still learning. But early on I saw inequities in public education from my own family’s privileged conversations about needing to move so we could go to a “good” public school or witnessing bullying and harassment against friends and finding systemic injustice (for example, at the time, sexual orientation wasn’t protected in my school district’s anti-discrimination policy). I started to advocate as a student – we got that policy changed – and haven’t stopped.
I eventually became a lawyer, studying at New York University School of Law, after getting my undergraduate degree at University of Washington in English/Creative Writing and Political Science. What I love about being a lawyer for young people is that my job is to support youth in standing up for their rights and challenging the inequities they face. I still get to be an advocate for more equitable systems (public education, healthcare, etc.), and I get to do that in collaboration with and at the direction of young people whose rights are at stake.
Grace Kimm
Staff Attorney
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I am a proud child of Korean-American immigrants with a family legacy of choosing professions that serve the greater community. But growing up, I wanted to become an Olympic-level ice skater, among other various not-approved-by-immigrant-parent professions. Eventually, I came to realize that I did want a profession that serves the greater community and ended up at law school. This realization was largely informed by my undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, where I majored in American Ethnic Studies. It was during my studies that I learned about systemic and structural racism, how these systems of racism affect communities of color, and how youth and children of color are targeted. This inspired me to become a lawyer, eventually leading me to TeamChild. I look forward to working with youth and young adults to help them achieve their goals.
George Yeannakis
Special Counsel
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Bio coming soon!
Shawna Sherman
Director of Finance and Administration
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I am excited to be joining as the Director of Finance and Administration at TeamChild. For me, growing up in rural Maine, at an early age I was attuned to poverty and the lack of opportunities people have when they are struggling economically. I wanted all people to have what they need and despite coming from a modest home it wasn’t an easy home to grow up in. Through my own experience, I developed compassion and understanding, and if I had something someone needed—lunch or someone to talk to—I gave what I had.
That desire continued. After graduating from a small, women’s college, I counseled incarcerated youth in a wilderness setting. We went backpacking and completed month-long canoe trips. Our goal was to create a safe place for youth to experience themselves as empowered people and to support them in making different choices when they returned home.
The work was hard but rewarding. I later went on to help create inclusive, low-income community housing. And I am thankful to be coming full circle into the role of finance, operations, and human resources at TeamChild. At the end of the day, my success is ensuring there is a nourishing supportive environment for all of our staff–from attorneys, legal assistants, policy change agents, to administrative staff–who in turn, empower youth to stand up for their rights and for communities to truly effect healthy, needed change for young people.
Grete Schultz
Managing Attorney
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As far back as I can remember I have always been one to “litigate the issue,” as my dad would say when, in his opinion, the issue was very much not open for litigation. In hindsight, my desire to become an attorney took root at a very young age. After attending undergrad at Seattle University, I completed law school at the University of Idaho. I began focus on a legal practice where I worked alongside my clients, taking their lead, to dismantle systems of oppression and the harms perpetuated by incarceration while at the same time working to recognize my own privilege.
On finishing law school, I worked for a number of years in Pierce County as a public defender, representing young people and adults who were accused of criminal offenses and clients who had behavioral health barriers for which the state wanted to commit them involuntarily for mental health treatment. It was in my capacity as a public defender that I first worked with, and was inspired by, a TeamChild attorney and I remember thinking that TeamChild is where I hoped to end up some day.
After leaving the public defender’s office, I worked with young people at a Seattle area non-profit and, most recently, in public benefits law. When the opportunity to join the King County office of TeamChild occurred, I jumped at the chance. I am grateful to be able to work alongside youth to assert their rights, to dismantle systems that do harm, and to work together to recreate a vision of justice.
LaKayla Irving
Staff Attorney
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Bio coming soon!
Rachel Gluckman
Staff Attorney
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Growing up the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I was taught to think about and speak out against injustice and oppression from a young age – although I never planned to be a lawyer. In fact, when I told people I was going to apply to law school, the general response from most people was disbelief. In hindsight, it probably seemed like a sharp pivot, as I had begun to build a career that I loved in the social work field. However, it was my experience as a social worker working with youth experiencing foster care, homelessness, and the criminal legal system that pushed me to pursue a legal career.
When I entered the legal field, I set an intention that I would not participate in this work unless I was actively working to dismantle systems of oppression, white supremacy, and to abolish the carceral system. I strongly believe in a youth and community-led approach. I strive to always work through an antiracist framework, be mindful of my own privilege, continue educating myself, and center the needs our clients advocate for themselves, because they know their own situation best. I am honored and privileged to join TeamChild as a King County staff attorney. I look forward to working together to prioritize the needs of young people in our community and working towards a future where no youth are incarcerated.
Porsche Phelps
Community Engagement Manager
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I am a proud Seattle woman, who grew up in Seattle and surrounding areas. I have watched Seattle transform from the drug epidemic of the 80’s, to a thriving urban community and now the gentrification that pushes out so many black families that built this city (including my own). As a youth, I experienced foster care and homelessness due to systemic racism and oppression of my community. This experience created my passion for youth advocacy. As a young person I wanted to attend law school to become an advocate for other young people like me, however life had other plans. Eventually this passion drove me to pursue my Associates of Applied Science Degree in Paralegal with the focus in Juvenile Justice.
Advocating for others has always been a part of who I am, from being a mediator in high school, advocating for my children’s education rights to sharing my knowledge with friends and family, and eventually encouraging youth to advocate on their own behalf. Supporting the development of our youth in their own advocacy skills is what drives me to continue advocating at all levels. When we center the voice of our youth, we show them we believe in them, we see them, and we love them. I believe working in partnership with youth and community can shift power and change the trajectory of so many lives ultimately changing society. Listening to those directly impacted by the systems that govern their lives is the only way to make lasting and effective change.
Joining TeamChild fit perfectly with my passion for youth advocacy. The joy I have for supporting youth and seeing them experience life and all its fullness partnered with TeamChild’ s Mission for youth to feel unconditional belonging has come together in perfect harmony. While systemic racism continues to create harm in my community, I believe that as a community we can create the change we want to see, one youth at a time.
Elisa Cozad
Staff Attorney, JR Institutions & Reentry Program
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Bio coming soon!
Max Kauffman
Community Managing Attorney
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From a young age, I was guided by a deep commitment to justice and a determination to amplify the voices of those often unheard. My awareness of the disparities in our society, particularly in how systems treat individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges, has always been a driving force. My decision to pursue a career in law was shaped by my family's experiences and a strong belief in standing up for what is right, alongside those who face significant challenges.
During my time in law school, I found a natural alignment in the areas of special education and juvenile justice. By working closely with at-risk youth and advocating for students with disabilities, I discovered a sense of purpose. These experiences strengthened my belief that the law can be a powerful tool for fostering social change, justice, and equity.
After law school, I began my legal career as a public defender and later as a mental health attorney. In these roles, I had the privilege of representing individuals navigating mental health challenges in behavioral health courts and competency proceedings. This work was deeply meaningful, as it allowed me to walk alongside those facing complex and often unjust systems—to offer guidance through a legal landscape that can be overwhelming. During this time, I also served as co-chair of a Mental Health Response Advisory Committee and as a director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New Mexico, collaborating with community stakeholders to improve behavioral health services, access, and outcomes.
My path eventually led me to non-profit work in the field of disability rights, where I engaged in legal and systems advocacy for individuals with disabilities across a broad spectrum of issues.
Whether addressing cases involving Medicaid, education, housing, or civil rights, my focus remained on dismantling the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality and injustice.
When the opportunity to join TeamChild as a Managing Attorney arose, I recognized it as a natural continuation of my journey. At TeamChild, I am grateful for the opportunity to work together with youth and families, to support their rights, and to challenge the systems that cause harm and fail our most vulnerable. I bring to this work a commitment to reshaping justice in collaboration with communities, ensuring that it truly serves and uplifts those who need it most, and those who need it now.
Arthur Longworth
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I leverage lived experience of foster care and long-term imprisonment to develop expertise that informs policy and system improvements. I am dedicated to improving outcomes for system-impacted young people across WA state.
Board
Andrew Benjamin, Treasurer
Clinical Professor at University of Washington
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While working with families engaged in high-conflict litigation and lawyers suffering from various mental health and drug abuse problems, Dr. Benjamin was named "Professional of the Year" by the Washington State Bar Association's Family Law Section. He was elected to serve as President of the Washington State Psychological Association and later his colleagues created an Association award named after him for "outstanding and tireless contributions." He was honored by the Puyallup Indian Nation's Health Authority for serving as a "modern day warrior fighting the mental illnesses, drug-alcohol addictions" of the people served by the Nation's program. The American Psychological Association conferred the Karl F. Heiser Award in recognition of his record of public service and advocacy in numerous areas of professional activity.
While serving on the faculty of the Department of Psychology and School of Law for University of Washington, Dr. Benjamin has published 73 peer reviewed articles in Psychology, Law, and Psychiatry journals. He is the author of five books published by APA and one book published by Sage:
Law and Mental Health Professionals, Washington
Family Evaluation in Custody Litigation: Reducing Risks of Ethical Infractions and Malpractice
The Duty to Protect: Ethical, Legal, and Professional Considerations for Mental Health Professionals
Educational Evaluations of Children With Special Needs: Clinical and Forensic Considerations
Family Evaluation in Custody Litigation, Second Edition: Promoting Optimal Outcomes and Reducing Ethical Risks
e—Ethics for Psychologists: A Casebook Approach.
You can watch his lecture on child custody on YouTube.
Dr. Benjamin lives in Seattle with his wife of 47 years. Their two adult children are gainfully employed as mental health professionals!
Nancy Talner
Retired
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Nancy Talner is a retired attorney with a distinguished career in civil rights and criminal defense. She spent nearly three decades at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (1995-2023), serving as a Staff Attorney and later Senior Staff Attorney. Before joining the ACLU, she practiced law privately, focusing on criminal defense and appellate work, and worked as an attorney at the Washington Appellate Defender Association. Nancy’s career began with roles as a prosecutor and judicial law clerk at the Northwest Intertribal Court System.
In addition to her professional work, Nancy has been an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors at TeamChild and co-chairing the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Sealing and Vacate Task Force, where she contributed to significant reforms in the expungement process. She has also volunteered with the Urban Indian Legal Clinic at Chief Seattle Club and served on the King County Law Library Board for 16 years. Nancy earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1980 and holds a B.A. from Tufts University.
Melissa Lee
Staff Attorney at the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, Seattle University School of Law
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Bio coming soon!
Larry J. Brown, Jr., Vice President
Paralegal at Law Offices of Mark R. Iverson, P.S.
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Larry Brown has been a board member with TeamChild since 2019. Born in the Midwest and raised across Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, and Washington due to his mother’s military-civilian work, Larry moved to Spokane, Washington, in 1993. He graduated from Medical Lake High School and later from Whitworth University in 2001 with a bachelor's in liberal arts, majoring in History, while playing football. In 2018, Larry became involved with TeamChild through Mark R. Iverson after assisting in a fundraising event. As a paralegal for Mark R. Iverson, P.S. since 2017, Larry provides guardianship support. Outside of work, he enjoys officiating basketball and football, coaching sports, and spending time with his children.
Ann Carey
Partner at Carey & Lillevik PLLC
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Ann has been on the TeamChild Board of Directors for nearly 20 years. For Ann, TeamChild’s representation and advocacy for youth and children is the right thing to do. Ann is now retired after a career of representing youth and their families. Ann was a co-owner of Carey & Lillevik PLLC, a public defender for Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons and an attorney with TeamChild. Ann served as chair and member of Washington State’s Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (now Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice), member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, member of Washington State Protection and Advocacy (now Disability Rights Washington). In addition to TeamChild, Ann is currently a member of the Friends of Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic Guild.
Ann can be found enjoying the Salish Sea, supporting Seattle Children’s Hospital, and traveling regularly to Alaska to be with her mother and brother.
Amanda Rodriguez
Lead Education Advocate at Yakima Educational Service District 105
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Bio coming soon!
Spencer Copeland
Content FP&A, Netflix
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Bio coming soon!
Almetta Pitts, Secretary
Founder & CEO, Attemla Consulting, LLC
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Bio coming soon!
Morgan Collins
Impact Investments Director at Starbucks
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Bio coming soon!
Sally Pritchard, President
Retired
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Sally is a long-time TeamChild board member from Spokane. She was a paralegal and administrator at Spokane Legal Services Center (before the statewide merger that created Northwest Justice Project) and has been a supporter of TeamChild since the Spokane office opened in 1996. She retired after a long career in human services in 2020 and appreciates having time to volunteer for TeamChild and other local organizations.